Graham needs to show more leg for Texans

For the second straight week, Shayne Graham got a second chance to kick a game-winning field goal. He's 2-for-2 on second-chance shots. He needs to convert the first one though, Randy Harvey writes. (Karen Warren/Chronicle)

The Texans might have lost last Sunday to Jacksonville without Shayne Graham’s field goal in overtime.

He kicked the game-winner in overtime Thursday against Detroit.

So what’s the problem with the Texans’ kicking game?

In both games, the Texans could have lost because of Graham misses.

I know. Could have. Should have. Would have. Nothing counts except that the Texans are 10-1.

But I think we all know now, in case we didn’t before, why the Texans spent a fifth-round draft choice on Randy Bullock, the Lou Groza Award winner from Texas A&M. He has a big leg, although we haven’t seen it since the preseason because of an injury that has him on the sideline until next season.

Bullock wasn’t actually outkicking Graham, who was brought in primarily to give the rookie some company and motivation during training camp, in the preseason. Graham might even have had a slight edge, even in leg strength, when Bullock was injured.

Bullock, however, would have made the team. We don’t know how he would have fared in an NFL environment. The guess here is that he would have been more dependable on kickoffs and ultimately on longer field goal attempts.

There’s a reason Graham has been with 10 teams in 13 seasons. He doesn’t have the leg strength that most winning teams rely on at least once, often more, to continue winning.

Graham could have ended the game against Jacksonville in regulation but missed from 47 yards, hooking the ball badly, as time expired. The overtime kick he made was from 25.

He missed in overtime Thursday from 51, then watched nervously as Detroit’s Jason Hanson missed a potential game-winner from 47.

It looked for awhile like the only kicker who could hit his target was Ndamukong Suh.

After Hanson’s miss, Graham redeemed himself with the game-winning 32-yarder.

Texans coach Gary Kubiak, who has been concerned because Graham’s relatively short kickoffs have given opponents good field position this season, wasn’t happy with the miss in overtime.

“We expect him to make that kick…I know it’s a 50 (51) yarder, but that’s our business,” Kubiak said Friday. “That’s what he’s here to do.”

Kubiak added he has confidence in Graham.

Perhaps too much. His conservative play-calling, resulting in two running plays for losses plus a false-start penalty, preceded the 51-yard miss. Kubiak needed to call for at least one throw downfield to move the Texans within Graham’s range. When he missed, the Lions inherited excellent field position, which would have led to an upset if Hanson’s kick hadn’t hit the upright.

The Texans shouldn’t count on Graham from beyond 45, the distance of one of his successful attempts Thursday. He had a 51-yarder earlier in the season, but has been unsuccessful in three other attempts from 50 or beyond.

Perhaps the 10-day break before the Texans’ next game, at Tennessee, will enable Graham to revive his leg. The Texans should hope so. If other kickers aren’t with a team at this point in the season, there’s a reason for that too.